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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

An Austrian Walk About Part VI

I hate it when I wake up like someone threw cold water on me but that's exactly what happened this morning. Since my bed is facing the window my first recollection was that it was light out and I had had a good night's sleep. Then I started wondering if I had gone totally deaf as there wasn't a sound from anywhere. The birds weren't chirping, there was no noise from within my room and there was nothing coming from outside my door. So I got up and ran the tap water.

It was so nice to hear the water running but where were the birds chirping? On top of that initial shock I noticed it was 5:40 am. As of right now I've had my coffee and a banana. The birds have returned to chirping outside my window and it appears that the day will have more sun than clouds. Things are definitely looking up in all directions.

Yesterday my brother was moved from the more intensive care floor to a regular ward. We can now visit more than a total of four hours a day. That's good from the point that hiking all over Salzburg takes a toll on the old fat body. Yesterday we cooled it and took a taxi to the mall. I needed to get a back pack. I think the price of the bag took more of a toll on me than the walking.

In addition my fabulous hubby and one of my daughters took my mother to the orthopedic doctor to have her hand and wrist evaluated for possible surgery. The good news is that the breaks don't require surgery. The continued bad news is that my mother is driving everyone nuts. They are counting the days until my return. Speaking of which, we shall be exiting Salzburg on Friday to spend the night in Munich. Our flight is very early Saturday morning and I being a very bad traveler do not want excess anxiety by leaving Salzburg at a ridiculous early hour to catch a plane in Munich.

I can't express how grateful I am to my daughters, son and especially my husband for banding together and taking such good care of my mother while I am over here. You know I must have really married a great guy when you consider the fact that he has tolerated me for over thirty-nine years and is taking care of his ninety-one year old mother-in-law who suffers from dementia and a broken hand. I love you dear!

All and all everything is coming together including my successful descent from the fortress via hiking down the mountain. I believe I have enough photographs to make a very nice DVD for my brother upon his return to the States early next week. Everyone should learn from his experience to one: take out traveler's insurance and second: be sure you are in shape prior to riding a bicycle 18 plus miles and walking excessively in mountainous terrain. Don't start your exercise program while you are supposed to be vacationing.

I should take my own advice but technically I wasn't on vacation and I had started a walking program at home. However the walking at home was nothing like the walking required here in Salzburg which you have seen in prior Blogs and will again see as we descended the mountain.

I followed behind once more as my nieces, nephew and sister-in-law led the way. After all they knew the path and all I had to do was keep them in view.

Oh, yeah! Downhill! Looks easy doesn't it? Well, it wasn't because it required use of some muscles that were relaxing while going uphill but were now called upon to do their thing. This is a picture halfway down. Here's the picture from looking up the incline.

This would have been perfect to slide down.

We officially exited the fortress and now came face to face with the mountain. We weren't the only ones taking the path. There were school age kids having a ton of fun sliding down the loosened dirt and others who were definitely in better shape then me moving up and down the path. I guess the proprietors knew that some of us old folks needed more than just a railing to move down the various inclines.

Wake up leg muscles!

I'm glad my pictures are in order otherwise the next one looks like it should be before all these. However, it doesn't

I'll bet you are thinking that wasn't so bad and that we are down on the streets again - NOT!

But we had made some progress. We continued on the above passage way until at last we reached the midway point.

Ah, a nice short break. Did I mention that the weather was nice and luckily the temperature was reasonable.

We were still making progress but the path didn't get any easier. It just went on and on and on and on... Eventually the path led into this walkway with a railing. It was a bit easier to walk along here and the view was absolutely magnificent.

Along the way there were scenic areas. This photo of my nieces gives you an idea of how far up we still were.

My nephew and sister-in-law had moved on.

We hiked along some more and eventually came to the hostel which my nephew and niece had selected the previous day for us to have lunch. Now this is how bad I really am. Even when we stopped here to eat I did not realize or recognize the building. Here's a clue.

Yep, that building way up there that I thought might be some rich person's home with a very nice view. It did have a very nice view and we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. My beer was very welcomed as well.

It felt very nice to be eye level with the top of the structures, which were mostly churches at this point. It was evident that we had traveled a very long way and we still had a ways to go.

After a leisurely lunch we were up and moving once more. The hour was quickly approaching in which we could visit my brother at the hospital. He was thoroughly enjoying our stories of each adventure taken.

I don't know if I want to say the path got any easier but the view continued to be awesome.

Eventually we were ground level and walking became easier along the river. I'm not saying that my feet didn't hurt and I that my legs weren't aching.

We walked along the river until we could cut over to the hospital. Upon arriving we found my brother tired but happy to see us. We shared briefly our adventure. I told him I thought his family was trying to make me his roommate. He only smiled because it hurts him to much to laugh.

I'm glad I made the trip to be with my brother. As with many siblings we have had our ups and downs but they have never over ridden our strong bond as brother and sister. I think of him daily lying in a foreign hospital unable to understand the language or customs and medical theories. To add to his anxiety he has never had surgery or been in a hospital. Finally, as we all know men, are big babies when it comes to being ill.

I am compelled to add that the hospital has made every effort to provide my brother with English speaking nurses and doctors. The doctors have personally seen to his care, visiting and talking to him every day. The nurses have not only been outstanding waiting on my brother hand and foot but they have been very kind to the family as well. By the way they all are very pretty and my brother has been hitting on all of them in a kind manner.

By the time my nephew, niece and I leave he should be up and moving about. The hospital allows the patients to go out in the courtyard and sit. We know he is improving daily as he is anxious to go home. I don't know why because I hear the temperatures are in the nineties and there has been no rain.

Hubby just wants to know if he'll be strong enough to once more take my mother to the hair dresser's on Thursdays - :)

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